Danny is not the ghost king. In fact, he’s never going to be the ghost king.
However, that doesn’t stop him from getting summoned, which is stressful. First of all, he has school to deal with, second of all, he’s just a lil baby ghost so shouldn’t even be able to be summoned, and three, his new ghost-dad gets a… tiny bit upset. Not at him, but he can only talk him out of destroying a world thanks to some idiot-cults so many times before there’s the temptation to let him do so.
whenever i do a big project that'll take a while, i always do a (very quick, messy) draft or thumbnail and add some notes so i'll remember what's up when i get back to it, values and the like. the card proper will be a long while away, but i thought it might be fun to share them so you can get a preview of what to expect when i do eventually get around to this, and a look into my reasoning
i, like a fool, picked the card with a very consistent design element; a hanged man is upside down. thought this would be a fun way to play with that
just the card on its own. the pose and lighting might change, but this will be the general idea going forward
Screaming into the void a bit: we were working on Go Outs foundations which, in this class, involves teaching Pip to paw a stanchion from increasing distances. She was doign GREAT with tons of joyful enthusiasm in class this evening. Then on one rep mid-slap she screamed, tucked tail, and almost left the ring. 😭😭😭 i have no idea what happened! Tweak her shoulder? Catch a nail?? Meat bee?!??! SOB
She did come out of her crate eventually and we did other exercises but once it was time to leave she couldnt get off the field fast enough. 💔 we have been doing so well i am just so sad. And my teacher doesn't seem interested in trying a different approach if pip remains worried about the stanchions going forward so 🫠
I'm just so fuckin sad. We can't ever seen to catch a goddamn break. And there is something uniquely awful about watching her do something I've asked with joyful, bouncing enthusiasm and then getting hurt (?). Like I'm brutalizing the trust she puts in me to keep her safe and be fair. I hate it so much.
Phoenix arrives home exhausted after a long day. He can’t wait to slide into bed next to Dawn. It seems impossible to sync up their schedules lately, and he’s missing her a lot.
When he walks into the living room, he’s surprised to find her asleep on the couch.
He crouches down and strokes her hair, feeling almost guilty for waking her.
Phoenix: Hi.
Dawn: You’re home.
Phoenix: Yep. You must’ve been tired, you’re still in your work clothes.
Dawn: So tired.
He stands to help her up, but she doesn’t move, doesn’t even open her eyes.
Phoenix: Do you want to come to bed?
Dawn: Mhm. I’ll be there in… in just a minute.
Phoenix: [unconvinced] Right.
---
The two of them wake up the next morning on the couch, still in their clothes from the day before, and wrapped in each other’s arms. Their alarm is beeping faintly from the bedroom down the hall.
Phoenix squeezes Dawn tight before forcing himself to sit up.
Phoenix: Good morning.
Dawn: G’morning. When did you get home?
Phoenix: Around eleven. I tried to wake you.
Dawn: I know. I was so tired, I couldn’t move. Thanks for staying with me.
Phoenix: Of course. It feels like sleeping is the only thing we do together these days. I wasn’t going to miss it.
Dawn: Ough, I know, we need a vacation.
Phoenix: We do. Where should we go?
Dawn: Hmm, somewhere tropical. I want to drink cocktails on the beach and swim with dolphins.
Phoenix: Oh, that’s different.
Dawn: I know. I know you prefer the snow, but—
Phoenix: No, let’s do it.
Dawn: Really?
Phoenix: Yes, really. It’ll be fun to go somewhere new. And if you have to walk around in your bikini the whole time, then so be it.
Dawn: I see. You have ulterior motives.
Phoenix: Definitely.
Phoenix kisses her then, softly but in a way that makes it clear just what those motives are.
Unfortunately, the alarm is still beeping in the other room, reminding them that there’s another busy day ahead of them. They both sigh and look at each other, wishing they could soak in this rare moment together a little longer… maybe they can.
Dawn: I’ll go shut off the alarm. Will you put on a pot of coffee?
Phoenix: Yep. When do you have to leave?
Dawn: About an hour. How quick do you think we can get ready?
Phoenix: Thirty minutes?
Dawn: Ooh, ambitious.
---
Phoenix: So, when should we do it?
Dawn: Do what?
Phoenix: Take a vacation.
Dawn: You tell me. You have that look.
Phoenix: What look?
Dawn: That I’m-asking-a-question-so-I-can-give-you-the-answer look.
Phoenix: I don’t do that.
Dawn: So, you haven’t already come up with a plan?
Phoenix: Okay, maybe I do that.
Dawn: Mhm. So, when should we do it?
Phoenix: How about August? It’s far enough in advance to plan, and it’s the last chance I’ll have before things get crazy in the fall.
Dawn: And just in time for our anniversary.
Phoenix: [feigning surprise] Is it?
Dawn: That sounds perfect. I have to get going though, so we’ll have to figure out the rest later.
Phoenix: What time will you be home tonight?
Dawn: Six. Seven, at the latest. Will you be here?
Phoenix: I’ll try to be.
Dawn: Okay. I love you.
Phoenix: I love you too.
one thing i dont get about the "pokemon is made for 8 year olds, not 20+ year old fans" argument for why pokemon games are so easy and bad is like.... so is mario. so is kirby. so is zelda. so is splatoon. so is basically EVERY other nintendo franchise, but they don't seem to have this problem?? adult fans and children alike can both enjoy those games. i feel like this is an argument that just kind of excuses the terrible yearly release schedule and crunch the developers have to go through.
pokemon fans can be whiny and annoying dont get me wrong, but we fucking LOVE this franchise and just want to see it get better. the pokemon company unfortunately knows that the vast majority of the people buying these games are parents buying it for their children, and being the largest media franchise in the world, they know that they can get away with garbage.